The Sorting - The Fire of the Phoenix (One-Shot)
by The-Girl-Who-Dreamed
Summary: In this story you can read about Regulus, Phoenix and Harry's sorting. About how they struggled to make difficult decisions and their fears about going to Hogwarts. This story is from The Fire of the Phoenix's Universe.
1. Chapter 1

**THIS IS FROM THE FIRE OF THE PHOENIX'S UNIVERSE**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter.**

**The Fire of the Phoenix - The Sorting**

Phoenix took a deep breath as she followed Professor McGonagall to the Great Hall to be sorted. That was it, the final line. She would wake up in her cupboard and it'd all have been a strangely nice dream that she was lucky to have had. Then it'd all return to normal, the beatings, the screams, chores and she'd go back to the life where "there's no such a thing as magic." and she'd pay hard for this bit of imagination - badly. Her body was stiff from the hidden bruises, her Uncle was generous enough to hit her where the clothes would cover, even if it was for his own benefit since she was still in pain. Hidden or not they still hurt the same.

She could feel the sweets she ate on the journey trying to come back to the atmosphere; her hands were shaking madly, her dark red hair falling on her face. Her heart was beating frantically, like it was about to explode. She felt someone grab her hand and recognized the touch, it was the only one who cared about her. Her twin brother, Harry, squeezed her hand and she returned. As long as he was with her, she would be okay.

To say that Regulus was nervous was an understandment. He knew how this worked, of course, he heard a lot about Hogwarts and about the house he should and would be in. Slytherin, the house for the ambitious and determined and for those who seek greatness. Known by three-quarters of the school – and the wizarding world - as the evil house, the house of the Dark Lord and where all bad wizards came from. That was a lie but trying to fight the prejudice was the same as trying to make a Death Eater – a follower of Voldemort – declare his love for a muggle – non-magical person.

The black haired boy wouldn't let his nervousness show, though. It was the first thing you learned if you were raised by an old pureblood family, not to show emotions. Emotions showed weakness; your weakness could be used against you. It was just simple logic. He absent mindedly listened to his second cousin's words, he was probably telling his troll-ish "friends" about what happened in the Hogwarts Express, about how Potter was hanging out with the blood-traitor weasel. Again.

If anyone asked him he would deny it but he was scared. He didn't want to follow his parents' footsteps but the boy knew what Uncle Lucius expected from him, what he wanted and Regulus didn't think if he could do it. Regulus for once, didn't agree with his family. Purebloods weren't better than muggle-borns or "mudbloods" as he should call them according to the Black and Malfoy family view of things. Blood is blood; magic is magic. But even if he didn't agree with them he didn't want them to hate him. They were the only family he'd ever had after all. Draco's the closest thing to a brother he ever had. _"Well, let's see if your _brother_ will stick with you when he discovers you're a blood traitor no better than the weasel boy. Oh, wait! He already knows." _Everyone did, so they tried to change him.

Regulus wished his parents were there his whole life, to tell him what he should do in a moment like that. Would they be proud of him if he didn't relent to his Uncle's manipulations? If he betrayed their beliefs? _"Don't be stupid, they were Death Eaters themselves. You'd probably be dishonoured." _That stupid voice was back.

He barely noticed the floating candles or the hundreds or heads staring at the first years. He was too busy pondering his thoughts and was only snapped out of them when he heard the stern Professor call his name.

"Black, Regulus."

His legs carried him to the middle of the Great Hall where there was a stool and the worn out Sorting Hat. He thought he saw pain flash through Professor McGonagall's eyes, but if he did it was gone as soon as it came.

He sat down and with shaky hands – which in the outside weren't shaking at all – put the hat over his head.

_"__Hmm... the last of Blacks is finally here. Difficult, very difficult."_ Said a deep voice in his head. _"Where to put you? You have a good mind... Your ideas are all here. But your ideas are great... you want to prove yourself different. Will do anything for it as well. Indeed you're in for something great, my boy. You remind me of someone, your father precisely. He was in the same dilemma. His family's support or his beliefs of what was right, don't choose the wrong one, boy. That's all I say."_ Regulus barely had time to ponder about what the hat said when it shouted "SLYTHERIN" and the table on the far right cheered. He looked at Draco when he stood up and saw him smirking.

He couldn't help but feel relieved in parts. He was happy to be in Slytherin – he wasn't prejudiced like most of the wizarding world - but he knew that it wouldn't make his life easier, be Reg was willing to risk it. And different from his father, he wouldn't make the wrong choice. Neither did he know that his father tried to correct his mistakes and it was too late.

Only when he sat at the table with his fellow housemates – who greeted the Black heir and were probably his cousins in some degree – he took time to take in his surroundings. The teachers clapped as "Bones, Susan" was sorted into Hufflepuff, the candles gleamed and the students introduced themselves to their new house mates. But the thing that caught his attention was the enchanted sky. The stars stood out from the dark blue and he could identify each of them easily. He could see his namesake shinning and somehow felt comforted by the simple gleam. He knew that he could do what's right.

She tried to control her shaking limbs as Professor McGonagall approached the letter P. She could feel Harry's nervousness no matter his efforts to hide it from her. She couldn't help but be scared. What if they didn't have a house for her? She knew she didn't have any qualities, she was useless, worthless and a freak. What would her Uncle and Aunt do to her if she arrived at their doorstep months before they were expecting. Would they give her the postponed beating or would his uncle do worse? What would happen if she was separated from her brother? With these questions in mind she felt the back of her eyes prickle and took a deep breath.

'Phoenie?' Harry said quietly. 'W-We'll be okay.' She knew he was trying to convince himself as much as her.

Another reason of her fear was that she didn't want to annoy him being his clingy little sister. He had a friend now. Ronald Weasley came from a very big family and seemed to want to be friends with Harry. He didn't even care about Phoenix being there and Phoenix was thankful for that, she didn't have anywhere to go. She knew she wouldn't be able to talk with these people who were so much better than her, who knew so much more.

Harry somehow seemed to get a glimpse of her thoughts and turned to look at her with hurt in his eyes and the hurt reflected on hers.

'Don't even think about that. I'll never leave you alone.' His eyes were hard as he said that and determined in a way that the red haired girl has only seen when he was trying to protect her from her Vernon Dursley.

Harry was scared. For him and his sister. He learned never to expect something good, and this change was too good to be true. What if he stood there on the stool for hours just to be humiliated in the middle of the Great Hall when the stern professor told him there must be a mistake? He knew he was nothing special, his relatives made sure of that. So it was impossible that he did what they said. How could a mere worthless baby freak destroy the Darkest Wizard of all times? He didn't even managed to die properly, he just managed to get him and his sister orphans and his parents killed.

_'__I don't want to be his annoying clingy little sister. He doesn't need me.' _He recognized the thoughts as his twin's, when they were feeling some strong emotion it got easier to connect and he didn't know if it was good or bad at the moment.

He stared at her with hard eyes as he saw the hurt in his eyes reflected on hers. 'Don't even think about that. I'll never leave you alone.' He said determined. He wouldn't and couldn't keep her away. She was the one whom he knew he could trust blindly, the only one who helped him with anything and everything, they were different and yet the same and he wouldn't let anyone break them apart.

Phoenix apologised and looked down. Harry instantly felt bad but she needed to know. He squeezed her hand again and when she looked at him he pointed to the ceiling. Hundreds of stars were shining in the cloudless sky; it was one of the most beautiful sights the twins had ever seen. They'd only seen the night sky when they were kicked out of #4 for the night and even then, it was never this starry.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when Professor McGonagall called his name. He gave his sister's hand one last squeeze and tried to gather all the strength he could to walk up there with his hurting limbs. He could hear people whispering behind his back and it didn't make him feel calmer, in fact, it seemed to make him shake more. All these people expected something from him without really knowing him. What would be their reaction when they noticed he wasn't their saviour? That he was just a useless freak?

He sat down on the stool and the hat was put on his head and covered his eyes.

**_"_****_Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting..._********_So where shall I put you."_**

******Harry gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not Slytherin **while he tried to think about staying together with his sister at the same time**_"Not Slytherin, eh." _****said the small voice.****_ "Are you sure? You could be great, you know, it's all here in your head, and Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that - no. Well, if you're sure - better be GRYFFINDOR! _**_And don't worry about your sister, Mr. Potter."_

Harry heard the hat shout his house to everyone in the Great Hall. He took off the hat without noticing that he got the loudest cheer yet, he would try to stick with the talking hat's advice. As he passed through his sister he sent a quick smile to reassure her and she took a deep breath before taking her brother's place.

The hat dropped on her head covering her eyes. The only thing she could hear before the hat's voice was the rushed beating of her heart.

_"__Hmm, Phoenix Potter. I have to say that your mind is as complex as your twin brother's if not more. That's difficult... and very interesting indeed. There's loyalty and thirst for justice. Yes, very smart. You are determined to do something great; oh I can see that clearly here. I can see bravery in your mind as well." _The hat said in a soft, yet deep voice.

"Please, don't separate me from my brother." She thought with as much determination she could gather.

_"__Want to stick together eh? Your brother asked me the same. GRYFFINDOR!"_ He shouted her house for the whole Great Hall and the table on the far right clapped politely. She put the hat on the stool and walked towards lion's table. Her brother stood up to welcome her and pat a seat near him. She suddenly felt overwhelmed by the attention; people got up from their seats to shake hands with them and to talk to the twins-who-lived. She could feel that Harry felt like that too. Little by little the stares lessened but the whispers continued, she looked around for a way out of the room but Harry caught her eyes and gave her a nervous smile but a look in his eyes was all it took for her to understand. _'I am here for you and we'll make through this together.'_

**A/N: So that's it. The Sorting one-shot. I hope you liked it and that I could explain a few things. Also, if you didn't get it the pain in McGonagall's eyes was because Regulus reminded her of one of her favourite students, Sirius.**

**I wanted it to be clear that Regulus is truly a snake and that he isn't just there because he asked to. Slytherin isn't a bad house, really. We snakes are not evil. (Yes, I'm a snake too XD)**

**Anyway, I'm working in the trial chapter for The Fire of the Phoenix and it's proving hard to put all the ideas together but I hope you'll like it when it's finished.**


	2. LET'S INTERACT!

Sorry, not a chapter.

I've decided to create a facebook group for my stories! There, I'll share snippets or the upcoming chapters, pictures of my casting, extra information and answer questions to your satisfaction. Also, you may share YOUR casting and insights on the stories. We all have a thing or two in common, right? Let's take advantage of it!

Just go on facebook an type **groups/719039084875602**and ask to join the group.

I think it's a good way for all of us interact and have fun!

Thanks,

Maria


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